Sinensis Odyssey
by Som3on3
Summary: Neji died protecting Naruto, only to be transported back to the past. He always did say that fate plays in cruel ways. Time Travel AU
**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto**

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Sinensis Odyssey

* * *

Dan is dying.

Her battle worn hands glowed green underneath grey clouds. She infused more chakra into the deep wound that rotted his body. His blood painted themselves all the way to her elbows, scabbing and dry. She didn't know how long this has been going on. Someone was talking to her, but she numbed those voices away because right now, Dan is dying.

They were fighting, against a group of red clad shinobi. Intense and adrenaline rushing, it had gone similar to previous enemy encounter. Extract and eliminate if needed, it wasn't a specific mission so they had free reign of how to attack. Jiraiya intercepted while Orochimaru mobilised them, Tsunade gave the semi touchdown and Dan―Dan was suppose to eliminate, easy as that. Their opponents were nothing compared to them, it had been a simple fact, something that may have cost Dan's life. The enemy nin used a jutsu that allowed rock particles to seep into the human flesh. Orochimaru terminated them, and Jiraiya took care of the intel. However, Tsunade was least worried about that, she could get rid of them within twenty four hours. But if she didn't stop the overflow of blood, Dan will die of either blood loss or infection.

She cursed, the wound wasn't closing and she didn't know why. Didn't know why. A dread twisted in her gut and she withheld the urge of wanting to spew at the thought. Tsunade was supposed to be great, one of the Senju, disciple of the Hokage. If she couldn't heal than what type of medic nin would she be? The blonde blinked and saw redredred.

"Tsunade! Get a hold of yourself!" Jiraiya barked, seeing his team mate in a turmoil. Gazing at her ashen white face he gently placed his hands on her shoulders, "Tsunade. One of my toads found a deserted house. Stop now and you can continue there, it's safer. Let me put stasis seal on him, please."

"Rai-Raiya," she gasped, "Please help him, please help Dan. I can't, I can't, I can't―"

Jiraiya and Orochimaru shared a look, knowing what will happen if worst comes to worse. She's already cracking, and it's only a matter of time till she'll break.

War makes the strongest of people fall.

Nonetheless, Jiraiya grimly nodded and placed a stasis seal, it won't hold on long but hopefully it'll buy enough time for Tsunade to pull herself together. The ink stood stark against pallid skin, and with a few hand movements it was activated. He carefully hoisted Dan onto his back while his remaining teammates helped each other. Closing his eyes, he sensed where the chakra of Gamarui was at, he sent signs to Orochimaru before disappearing in a flash, the others followed suit.

The house, was more like a shack, but enough for everything to be covered yet still had peepholes in them. And in another time in another place, Jiraiya would've been happy for the peepholes. The small group of Konoha nin silently sneaked inside, leaving no footsteps. Water trickled from rainclouds and the outside world slowly seeped into darkness. It was wet, cold and utterly terrifying. They had gotten so used to the sound of bombardment and screams, the smell of fresh blood. Compared to this, they all preferred that. This, this was torture. A symphony of low gasps searching for air, a soft pathetic whimper and the smell of decay from their dying friend. Jiraiya rubbed the bridge of his nose, yeah, he'd rather face battle and have a wound than see the people he care about succumb to suffering.

"His tenketsu coils are blocked."

Everyone tensed, in an instant Orochimaru, forever the most deadliest out of them all, flicked a kunai at whoever said those words. Tsunade shifted towards Dan, despite her shivering form her hands were clenched tightly, preparing to attack. Jiraiya stared at their assailant, trying to adjust at the dim lighting. He blinked, eyes widening and in his peripheral vision he saw Orochimaru ready to attack again, but he quickly yelled out a, "Stop!" The snake nin recoiled backwards, and each of them took a good inspection at the person who had just walk through the doorway.

It was a boy.

A Hyuuga boy.

"Kai!" just in case.

Nothing happened.

No older than four, with an unmarked forehead and eyes too ancient for a child. He wore a makeshift dress, and if they didn't look twice, he'd be mistaken as a girl.

"His tenketsu coils are blocked," the boy said again, "disrupting chakra flow, thus healing."

"What is a Hyuuga your age doing in Amegakure," it was Orochimaru who spoke, narrowing his eyes, the boy had to be a Hyuuga, the way he familiarised with chakra coils only clarified it further.

"You're in my home," he clipped back, "And I'd focus your attention on your friend if you want him to survive," he walked towards Dan and Tsunade tensed, he all but ignored her, "I can unblock them and get the particles out but after that you heal him and get the fuck out of my house."

"You're a kid," Tsunade said flatly.

His pupil-less eyes stared down at her, "You and I both know that he'll die. The Byakugan can see all tenketsu points, and Hyuuga's have a natural talent in delivering chakra at a certain area," his statement wasn't flaunted, rather believable, "I am a child. But I am neither unskilled nor blind in this situation. So either get out of my house now or later, make up your mind, time is of the essence."

Orochimaru glared, "It's times of war brat. And don't be so cocky. You can't trust every doe eyes that comes in your way without consequences. Especially ones with a dojutsu, are you a bastard or did someone just abandon you? A traitor perhaps?"

"Oro!" Jiraiya sighed, though as much as he hates to admit, his pale team mate was right. Anyone and anything could be the enemy. Betrayal was easy and you couldn't trust anybody except yourself. He had seen husbands murdering wives, children picking up weapons and cladding their hands in blood. War, war is an ugly thing. Solicited in the field were nothing but pawns while civilian death nothing but necessary casualties. The old and those who sat upon high thrones had the benefits of the aftermath. Because the harsh reality is, war is not who's right, only who is left.

"You're right," the Hyuuga almost finalised, "I am but in the body of a child," body of a child? "And war is a time that cannot be trusted. When people backstab others it's not uncommon during times like this. I promise, I'll save this man. And I never go back on my word."

Something struck in Tsunade, she was vaguely reminded of red hair and green eyes. Trust was not something easily given in times of war, but standing in front of her was no ordinary child, she knew that and it seems, by Orochimaru's cautious looks and Jiraiya's thoughtful one, they felt the same as her. Here she was, about to give Dan's fate to someone that hardly reached her hips. Yet, there was an ancient look etched in his eyes, and the saying goes: Look beneath the underneath. This boy was more than what his physical attributes portrayed himself as—No, those were the eyes of a veteran shinbone. And she wondered if this child was simply cursed with a just that made him what he is in front of her. Nevertheless, he reminded her of someone who held will.

"Do it."

Orochimaru sneered, "Tsunade, the brat could be an enemy with some type of kekkai genkai that makes him look young. You don't know―"

She ignored him, "Heal him, but get anything wrong and I'll slit your throat, Hyuuga bastard or not."

"I will. After that," he hauntingly gazed at the three, "stay the fuck out of my house."

Without further ado, the boy bunched up his long sleeves, getting them out of the way. He looked more like a noble's kid with that porcelain skin and delicate limbs. With a fluidity, he motioned Jiraiya to unseal the stasis. And within that instant he got to work, veins around his eyes pulsated and each of them hitched a breath at the sight of the activated Byakugan, all doubts gone. His hand flickered with each movement, a needle of chakra could be seen. Imbedding fingers onto flesh with accurate precision they held their breath when one of his fingers dug brutally without breaking skin. With a pull, black particles began levitated away before being put into a pile next to him. He repeated this motion, one hand taking the particles while the other stayed near the wound, infusing chakra to keep the blood from bleeding out.

Water and earth release, Jiraiya noted. Even though Tsunade was the only medic nin, the sheer skill that this boy displayed is genius, prodigious even. And most of all, unnatural. He couldn't be older than five yet already knew nature affinities as well as having exceptional chakra control. Warning bell rang in his head, while Tsunade might be too delirious, he knew that Orochimaru saw the warning sides as well. This was dangerous, stupid and went against all ninja protocols. But Tsunade needed to get herself together, or else Dan will die. This boy was their only chance left since neither Jiraiya nor Orochimaru or medic nin. And if anything went wrong they'll just eliminate.

But what was a Hyuuga his age doing in Amegakure? He had no seal on his forehead, indicating a main branch member. And his skills would have been flaunted or kept a secret. Yet here he was, practically in the middle of who knows where, wearing rags and healing a half dead shinobi. Well, if you could really call that healing since there doesn't seen to be an ounce of medical ninjutsu. The skills he honed were that of a true genius, none of the Sanins considered themselves geniuses, quiet the contrary, they were all hard workers. Geniuses were rare and farfetched, intelligibly gifted were common, true geniuses were not. And that of a four year hold who was doing things far above his age, well, this was the shinobi world, and in their line of work odd things would come about. Jiraiya had to admit, what they were doing was crazy, leaving the life of a man in the hands of a child.

But there was something about him that oozed confidence as well as maturity, for a moment, Jiraiya saw a flash of yet another Konhoha ninja healing a wounded instead of a boy hovered over a body twice his size. There was something more to this, and as much as Jiraiya was curious, it was better to stay silent and watch.

"Alright," the soft pronounced voice tore him away from his thoughts, "I need you," he indicated towards Tsunade, "or anyone who knows how to sow, to stitch the wounds. The blockage problems are fixed and I've resealed the internal wounds. Just stitch the outer flesh because blondie is drained from chakra exhaustion. Take a day or two to rest after that get the fuck out of my house."

This is going to be a long day, Jiraiya thought.

* * *

Shitshitshit. Shit.

Neji had died in hopes that Naruto will live. His life as an exchange. Because Naruto is special and his fire burns burns brightly enough to knock some sense into the enemy. He's a backbone that keeps people standing and Neji knew that without the blond, everyone's fire will dim. So he had accepted death, only feeling the slightest of regret when he saw Hinata cry. But everything will be fine, deep down he knew that Naruto is a worthy man enough to take care of her.

Closing his eyes had been a dark moment, yet the pain vanished and the whole world numbed into nothingness. He remembered nothing except for an ancient calloused hand sliding down his cheekbones, and a rhythmic thrum of heartbeats. A soft rumble lulled him into the darkness, comfort admits the abyss. And in a brief moment he saw something, or someone. Chained painfully against an invisible wall, hair amass and skin so inhumane. He reached forward, hands outstretched and chest clawing in pain, vice versa to the blade imbedded deep inside the being's own. Hollow eyes stared and then―

Neji woke up, under the damp rain of Amegakure.

He had wandered, hiding his presence and headed towards the land of fire. He silently questioned how his body transgressed into that of a child, whether he was currently in a twisted dream. Had the war ended? Or is this the afterlife? Neji wanted to scream due to his unanswered questions, paranoia clawing in his chest. His prayers were answered by the end of the first day, though not in a good light since a group of Kumo nin attacked him. He had barely gotten out alive, and wouldn't of have in this body if one of his attackers hadn't miscalculated. The game of cat and mouse and gone for hours, Neji had to think fast.

Jyuken, had been a very, very bad idea.

His world spun, and like overfilled water in a grail, his chakra spilled―or rather, exploded. The Kumo nins lashed back, each of their chakra coils literally shredding into pieces. It was unpredictable, messy, exact opposites of what a Hyuuga should be. He was meant to have absolute perfect chakra controls, one of the reasons why he was unofficial medic for team Gai; Tenten didn't have that control and Lee had near to no chakra. Was it perhaps because of his child body? And were the Kumo nins rouge? Since everyone fought under the Shinobi alliance nowadays. Or maybe that Uchiha transformed him with his god-knows eyes and transported him to the other side of the Shinobi Nations.

What about his comrades? What happened to them?

Not once in his life has Neji ever felt so lost.

In an unknown land, with uncontrollable powers. The Hyuuga was meant to be constant, steadfast. His Byakugan allowed him to see all. Yet now, everything was the opposite.

On the third day, he managed to pull up some scrap and assemble clothes. He found a small shack of a hut, barely anything keeping it together. For the time being he had called it home, just until he harnessed his chakra because travelling towards Konoha amongst the unknown would be a very bad idea. Months passed and he encountered nobody. Living as a hermit, it still took a long time for Neji to redirect his chakra, often leading to backlashes. Nevertheless, it was a quiet lifestyle, and gave him enough space to ponder about his thoughts. He had come to the conclusion that this was not a genjutsu, screaming Kai after the tee torturing was exhausting. Overall, the Uchiha must've had some teleportation seal on those poles and had intended to send Naruto somewhere else with devastating damage and after effects, thus Neji's child body. The Kumo nins were definitely rouges and that vision he saw before was a hallucination caused by delirium.

It added up and sounded logical, precise. Neji became happy with what he had concluded because it made sense.

That is, until he came back one day to three Legendary Sanin, together and civilised, in his hut, wearing war armour and with another, looking significantly younger.

Shitshitshitshit. Shit.

He had offered to heal the dying man, something only a Hyuuga could do due to his blocked tenketsu and something only Neji could do because he had Earth affinity. Hinata had showed him ways to input the Jyuken and healing together. The only problem was his chakra control. So he had to improvise, focusing all his chakra in one hand. It wasn't enough to heal the wounds, fear that he might damage the tendons and arteries permanently. But it was enough to retract most of the earth particles blocking his tenketsu. Because all he needed was to make his chakra the opposite magnetic field to that of the earth inside the man's body, and with enough power, he was able to ooze them out. The difficult part was making sure that it didn't rip any blood vessels.

Tenten, who had knowledge of chakra strings, taught the simplest forms to Neji, and hopefully he could mimic that and do the same now. After what seemed like hours, he had did it. But it was clear that the man needed a medic nine for the other residue as well as his bruised chakra coils. It wasn't damaged per se, but if not looked at properly, it would disrupt his chakra flow.

"He needs to get back to a Hyuuga, preferably a medic nin," he blurted.

Tsunade glanced up from tending the man's wound. And she looked so young; eyes rounder, face fuller. There was still a shadow from war but it was casted slightly away by her youthfulness. The blonde sat near the man, Neji was starting to speculate who this guy was, as if she were expecting another attack. Her lips were pulled down to a frown, and she asked, with her slightly off Konohan accent, words carefully pronounced, "Who are you?" and then she asked, "Why did you help us?"

Neji stared at the flickering fire that the Toad Sanin had made. It was slightly unnerving to see Naruto's undead Sensei with less lines and a subdued look. Everything right now felt surreal, because here he was, in Amegakure, possibly in the Second Shinobi War with a younger version of the three Legendary Sanin. It sounded impossible if he hadn't seen other ludicrous things from the Fourth War. He gave a small shrug, not knowing how to answer, "You guys are from Konoha right?"

"Answer the question brat," it was Orochimaru, except his face was less sharper and the insane glint in his eyes was replaced with a guarded weariness, almost a lack of ambition, the complete reversal from what he heard about the snake Sanin.

All three of them were opposites of what they'll become to be; Tsunade vulnerable, Jiraiya stern and Orochimaru diffident.

Neji sighed, "Like you said, I'm a bastard child. And cause he was dying."

"It's a war, people die kid," Jiraiya clipped, "What's a Hyuuga at your age doing in Ame anyways?"

He hummed, "I don't know."

"You don't know," Jiraiya deadpanned.

He shrugged, "I swear I was around the Land of Frost at one point. Now I'm here, in Ame...you don't believe me do you."

"Look kid, just tell us where your parents are. We'll help you even," Jiraiya said, making Orochimaru huff in annoyance.

He felt his eyes twitch, even after what they had seen, they still treated him like a kid! Neji scowled, stood up and walked towards the heavily injured man before glancing back at the two other men in the room, "They're dead," he left no space for response, a half-truth, "I also don't need your help," an outright lie, "So when the man's healed, get the fuck out of my house."

Neji needed to be alone, he needed to think and collect his thought. After that, he could formulate a plane and figure things out from there. Right now, he needed to straighten this mess out.

The pale eyed boy momentarily blinked when he felt a lithe hand place themselves on his arm. They were kind, not soft, firm, not gentle. He vaguely saw a brunette with deep brown eyes until it flashed to lighter features. He cautiously took a seat on the ground, briefly looking at the hurt man again, slowly moving his gaze to the female Sanin. Tsunade looked slightly nervous, her lips pulling themselves into a soft smile. Neji thought she looked beautiful like this, "They're right. You didn't have to save my friend, but you did. And I'm very thankful. Thank you Hyuuga-kun."

"You're welcome," he headed towards the door, "And don't worry, everything will be fine."

He had noticed her trembling hand.

With that, Neji left without a second word.

* * *

"Should we follow him?" it was Orochimaru who broke the silence.

"No, leave him," Tsunade said, "I don't think he's the type that can be kept in a cage."

"He could be a spy."

"Anybody could be a spy," Jiraiya pointed out, "I doubt it though. He's stoic and a genius, but his eyes are too expressive. What's an unbranded Hyuuga doing so far from home at that age anyways? The main branch don't let their precious kids wander to far. What are we gonna report back?"

"We don't," Tsunade cut through.

"What?"

"We don't," she clarified again, "He saved Dan. We're in his debt and unless he wants to go to Konoha then it's absolutely unnecessary."

"That's treason," Orochimaru eyed her.

She smirked, "Since when did we ever follow the rules?"

Jiraiya smiled, they were renown for being troublemakers, "That's true, but what he did to Dan is skilled. Very skilled. Beyond skilled, something that Konoha can use to make us advantageous. Should we really let this moment pass?"

"You can lead a horse to water but you can't force it to drink," Tsunade quoted, "I'm sure. Our priority should be finding base camp and report there, wait for further instructions."

A frown made it's way to Jiraiya's face, but he kept silent and stared intently at the fire. They then waited, and waited, but the boy never came back.

It wasn't until after a series of events did they meet the boy again. Well, in truth it had only been Jiraiya. Dan was going through rehabilitation while Orochimaru and Tsunade headed back to Konohagakure, ever since that battle with Hanzo, a blow to their pride. He had taken in three Ame orphans, brats really, teaching them how to fight.

Their second encounter, took flight underneath yet another dreary day. He was in a small, rundown village due to their shortening supplies. Jiraiya henged himself into an average looking person, at times like this it was common to be glared with mistrust. He scowled when the thin lady made him pay a ridiculous amount if money for a bag of rice. The man sighed, this war was really taking a toll on everything.

To the point being, he saw the boy again on his way back home―to the hut, because home was in Konoha not in backwater Ame, he had to remind himself. The boy was by the water stream, rather, standing on top of it while his head tilted upwards. Still wore those dusty rags, painting a melancholic image. Jiraiya knew the boy noticed him the minute he stepped forwards. It was funny to see how the boy moved like a lean apex predator yet still had the legs of a baby fawn. He looked at Jiraiya, that hollowness still implanted in his eyes as a ghost smile simmered on his lips. He spoke softly, his Konohan accent laced heavily with the traditional Hyuuga tonality, "Long time no see. How is your friend?"

"Recovering, how are you?"

There was a pause.

"I'm lost."

(It was said with defeat, emptiness).

* * *

When the boy invaded his life, Yahiko didn't really know what to say.

Jiraiya came back from the village, hair doped in a sprinkle of rain, arm holding a bag of rice. They had been playing Go Fish, and it was actually Nagato who notice the body behind the man first. The trio greeted their Sensei back with much enthusiasm. Grateful, that he made it back safely, because who knew what could happen in a battlefield. Nagato was the first one to notice, disrupting their conversation as he pointed out at the boy (girl?) standing behind Jiraiya.

The old man grinned, noticing their expression, "Brats I want you to meet―what's your name again?"

A stoic nod greeted them, "Bana."

Jiraiya clasped a steady hand on the shorter boy's shoulder, nudging him to go forwards. Yahiko knew that he was trying to get them to become friends, or at least trust each other. This action made him frown, as war waged on, nobody could be trusted, nothing could be seen as a sign of safety, be it a person or place. The trio were close, family, albeit dysfunctional and not brought up in the right conditions. They truly cared about each other and would risk their lives for one another. To have another orphan (was he an orphan?) barging down on their perfect faux family was discomforting. Yahiko didn't like the way Konan's eyes lit up nor how Nagato's lips were pulled into a small smile. Those were usually reserved for him if not Jiraiya, to have those expression given to a total stranger was worrisome.

He watched as they introduced themselves, welcoming the small midget into their homes. There was something about him that just didn't seem right. Too silent, too eery, unnatural. The way is blank eyes spoke volume, not blind, he had once said, a trait, Bana explained further. He walked with an elegance that Yahiko utterly despised, it reminded him of the rich bastards parading their wealth. Yet, at the same time, he saw the yellow eyed shinobi who was Jiraiya's companion. Lethal and untrusted. Which, he had to admit, was quite silly since Bana was much smaller than him, than all of them really. A china doll meant to be untouched and polished.

As days passed, it was clear that Bana had no intention of becoming a shinobi. Whenever they trained, all he did was give a stiff nod before turning his whole hearted attention to pressing flowers. And Yahiko would've really thought Bana was a girl if they didn't go down the stream together. From what he's known, Bana was a little bit of an ice queen, never really bothered looking at them. He did, however, had a soft spot for Nagato, which Yahiko just didn't understand. Nagato was always stuttering, shy, and he had expected someone like Bana to completely ridicule him. Instead, the long hair boy offered ghost smiles and tentative instructions on how to improve in training that worked. He'd help Nagato in times of need, such as a slight cough, bring in the honey and lemon-And where the hell did he get that in times of war? When Nagato was hungry, Bana so happenedly brought a snack along with him. Dare he say it, it was almost as if Nagato was getting pampered.

And it annoyed Yahiko.

"They're like siblings aren't they?" Konan said one day, as they watched Bana teach Nagato about chakra control in an in depth theory that Yahiko couldn't be bothered to understand.

Bana gently laid a leaf on Nagato's hand and smiled softly, Yahiko frowned, "They are. Na's stopped crying a lot since Bana arrived," something Yahiko had tried to do since day one. He didn't know whether he should be happy or sad. Because part of him liked seeing Nagato smiling, the other thought there was no need for doting, only making Nagato weaker. A surge of bitterness bubbled in his stomach.

"Hey," Konan lightly punched his arm, "There's no need to be jealous, you'll always be Nagato's number one best friend. Even the blind could see."

Yahiko was not jealous.

"I'm not jealous."

Konan grinned, all beautiful and ever knowing, with the grace of a lady and the lethality of a sharp blade, "I never knew you could give someone the cold shoulder 'Hi, just go up to them and try to interact with Bana. At least try for 'Na's sake."

It's true, he had never actually fully interacted with Bana despite Nagato's persistence. There was just something off about the other boy. And Yahiko didn't like it, he could often see Jiraiya's suspicious gaze on the boy before quickly masking it with faux boisterousness. That had to mean something, right? Jiraiya was the fully fledge shinobi, so if there was distrust, it had to be right. Or at least, that's they way Yahiko thought of it as. Either way, Yahiko knows there's something wrong about Bana, and he wasn't going to let his friends (family) suffer from the backlash.

Yahiko stared at Nagato, who's skin was much too pale, contrasting with his red hair. How his bones were strong despite their frail looks, but beneath it were easily breakable tendons. Then there was Konan, who held her shoulders strong and eyes glinting with mischief, even if they hid the pain and suffering from all those years. And finally, Jiraiya, their savoys (father), his broad arms becoming a comfortable home for them, a pillar of support. They weren't perfect, all a little bit ruffled in the edges and only strings keeping them together, but—

No, he wasn't letting anyone break this family.

Believe it.

Nagato reminded Neji painfully of Hinata.

His mannerisms and the way he held himself. It was all a shadow of Hinata, a younger Hinata who had not grown into the strong woman he once knew. Nagato casted a dark barrier between himself and the world. Neji was certainly no Naruto, he was no sun that casted light amongst the shadows, nor was he the wind that lead others to freedom. No, Neji was silent, he was a mountain upon the earth and a flowing water. He was the support to lean on, he was the baptized water that lead people to a new start. Neji was the spinal skeleton of his team, he made sure to watch everyone's back. And with that, it needed faith. Team Gai had been dysfunctional, but they were strength and precision, trust was with them.

The occupants of this small hut, were a bit more difficult than that.

Jiraiya doesn't trust him. Though he had many traits similar to Naruto, Jiraiya had a complete different mind set. War torn, almost to the point of bitterness. He wasn't as loud as Neji remembered him to be. And the man in the boy's body knew that the only reason that Jiraiya wanted him to be here was to analyze his threat levels. They were mutually civil with each other, but Jiraiya would hint about things and tried to nudge into Neji's secrets. As days passed, he left it at that, though there would always be a shift here and there that made Neji know Jiraiya was watching him.

It was sad, because some part of Neji had expected that the man would be like Naruto.

And the one who was like Naruto, Yahiko, hated his guts. His orange hair was bright and eye catching? And although slightly more mellow, Yahiko possessed a loud voice worthy of a leader. At the same time, Yahiko looked far to eerily similar to the man who had attacked Hinata during Pein's invasion. Thigh Neji didn't get a close look, he had caught a glimpse. And there was no denying it by his hair and build. Neji had mixed feelings about Yahiko, with the face of the enemy, he tried to avoid the orangenet. However, it was quite clear that the boy also held animosity towards Neji—probably for intruding into their lives.

Konan was smart, not in a genius sense, rather, in a way that a kunoichi would've been proud of. She was like Tenten, except his former teammate didn't have the poised elegance that Konan does. Konan was a sweet girl, not necessarily kind, but she has compassion. Easily swayed by both her friends, Nagato more so, and gave a sensible amount of space near Jiraiya, as if anything would happen, she would be prepared to attack him. She seemed to like Neji but was cautious as seen by the way she played with the paper in her hands.

Finally there was Nagato.

Who has the Rinnegan.

He remembered those eyes in the war.

He remembered those eyes before he died.

Nagato was Hinata-at least, they had many resemblances. And Kami, Neji didn't know what to do. He was never one to hate, but an eerily feeling deep inside, told him that Nagato was the enemy. At least, in the future. And then there was another part of him that reminded Neji of Hinata. Enemy, enemy, resonated in his mind. Protect, protect, pounded the other.

He tried to stay away, he did. It didn't work since Nagato was a klutz and he saw too much of Hinata so of course Neji helped. And from there, they formed an odd friendship. It was brotherly, close, paternal and everything Yahiko hated. Honestly, it was clear that the orangenet was head over heels with Nagato. Which was cute, because Nagato was definitely attracted to Yahiko. Konan watched the events unfold with amusement. And Neji, along with Jiraiya, couldn't help but think: young love.

(Since when did he feel so old?)

They weren't close, and life in this small hut is weird. But they managed, well, as managed as you can get during wartime.

All they did was train adds train, basic things you would teach a genin squad. He often watched them during the day? Though never partaking in their activities. No, Neji trained constantly, meditating and trying to hone his chakra control. He tried water and tree walking, the latter was disastrous but there was good progress. With yoga and other artful poses, he managed to get his chakra flow slightly more to the norm. As months pass, right under their noses, rather Jiraiya's, Neji was finally able to control a leaf with his chakra again. It was a skill often used by shinobi to test their balance. And although his control wasn't as precise as it was in his older body, it certainly did not leak out large amounts of chakra like before.

He could still do Justus from his own time, some were just slightly more chaotic than others. And in terms of fighting, Neji had to readjust himself because he now has shorter limbs. From his calculations, he'd easily defeat the standard genin and Chunin—depending on which village. Jonin was stretching it, and these calculations were all made with the averages in Konoha. With the exception of Naruto of course. And Gaara. And Sasuke. Fuck, those people are anomalies to begin with. Never mind that, each and everyone of them had purpose, world sharing purpose. Compared to Neji who was only supposed to kneel by the Hyuuga's side.

Over the passing months, Neji wondered if he was in purgatory, or heaven, or hell. Perhaps another dimension of time travel? Tenten had been the one that was interested in all of that. Either way it didn't matter, he took this as a second chance, now with no ties to Konoha, he could do whatever he wanted. His conscience said that there was a bigger part to this, save the future and all that. But a childish part told him to whatever he wanted, to be finally free, just as Naruto said he would be. What made things a million times better was the fact that there was no seal upon his brow. No restrictions, no chains or cage to hinder the things he aspired to do. Neji truly is a free man and if he ever went back to Konoha, it would only be wrenched away from him.

And if he was really back in time, or another dimension, his existence itself would cause ripples. And judging from the date, the wrong move could stop the births of his friends.

Neji didn't know what to do.

He was no hero, victor or messiah.

He was ninja, he was not righteous or good. He was not above the laws.

Neji watched as Yahiko yelled, the bandit's blade hitting his shoulder. Konan was fighting her own set of bandits, paper cutting through flesh, eyes beginning to get duller with each strike. No, here he saw Naruto and Sakura, enemies flowing down upon them like rain, scratches mapped their body while blood stained their hands.

(He was not above the law.)

Yahiko gritted his teeth, sending a flurry of attacks. Nagato, quickly did a Jutsu that countered the bandits. To him, it was Lee and Gai, an unstoppable duo, their body an instrument of destruction.

(He was not above the law.)

Konan shouted at Nagato as he narrowly missed a sharp blade to the eye. But they didn't see the two bandits coming up towards them. It was Tenten who yelled out, and Hinata who eyes were cascading with tears that became vulnerable.

He saw all of them hurt, all of them pained.

Neji froze, instinct screaming as he shunshined towards them.

(He was not above the law.)

"Hakke Rokujūyon Shō."

(Just to see them happy—perhaps he can make a change.)


End file.
